Recommended tracks: “SHIVER,” “FOOTING,” “SOMEHOW MADE IT OUT”
Artists you may like: Hunter Metts, Noah Rinker, Noah Kahan
In an era of tightly measured beats and hyper-refined pop, Tuscaloosa-born singer-songwriter Brenn! chooses a different path with his debut album, AMATEUR AT BEST. Released via Darkroom Records, the highly anticipated project consists of 12 tracks and is a messy, beautifully unrefined, honest time capsule of a young artist navigating the heartbreak-y and headache-y path that leads to adulthood.
AMATEUR AT BEST was co-written with songwriter Maddox Shafer between homes in Alabama and Tennessee. It is a testament to a surprising yet refreshing new topic: baseball. Brenn! uses the imagery of a diamond to unpack a whirlwind year marked by moving away from home, living through his first heartbreak and learning how to live independently. The phrase “amateur at best” became a constant loop in his mind as he wrote, becoming a badge of honor and also the title of his masterpiece. As the genius himself notes, the album is meant to be an extension of himself, and he is not perfect.
The emotional anchor of this album is “SHIVER.” It starts heavy, an ache from trying to break free from heartbreak and finally get out of bed and back into the sun. The delicate acoustic guitar builds into a roaring crescendo of reverbed cymbals and swelling drums, accompanied by Brenn!’s plea, “Like the dead trees in December, like the frostbite as I shiver / All of you have left me as cold as I’ve ever been.” The desperation is palpable. The core dilemma is summarized into a single question: “Why can’t I just step away?”
The album’s tracklist traces through endless possibilities of happy endings and melancholy. “FOOTING,” which was released last year, blends traditional folk storytelling with a modern hint of pop, showing creative clarity.
Meanwhile, “SOMEHOW MADE IT OUT” explores the nightmare feeling of watching someone you love move on while you are stuck at a standstill. “BRAND NEW CAR” pulls you back to the moment you felt your relationship tense to the verge of fracturing. But all of these lines are blurred, leaving you to rely simply on electric guitars and authentic banjos when the notes aren’t polished to a sheen. It’s homegrown, cathartic and the perfect definition of folk-pop that evokes that intimacy of The Lumineers while maintaining his Alabama roots.
With this album, Brenn! has proven he is anything but an amateur. He has created a stunning testimony of personal heartbreak and shared solace while figuring out life in real time. He strikes out, hits some home runs, and finds the grace in the dirt.
AMATEUR AT BEST is now out via Darkroom Records.
Brenn! will also be touring North America and Europe this fall, including dates with Dylan Gossett. Tickets are available here.
Brenn! Tour Dates (bold with Dylan Gossett):
June 23 – Glasgow, UK – King Tuts
June 25 – London, UK – The Garage
June 26 – Chelmsford, UK – State Fayre
June 28 – Paris, France – Les Étoiles
June 296 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso (Upstairs Room)
June 30 – Köln, Germany – Die Kantine
July 3 – Dublin, Ireland – Iveagh Gardens
July 4 – Dublin, Ireland – The Academy – Green Room
July 5 – Belfast, UK – Custom House Square
August 20 – Houston, TX – HOB – Bronze Peacock
August 21 – Austin, TX – Scoot Inn
August 22 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada (Outdoor Stage)
August 25 – Oklahoma City, OK – Beer City Music Hall
August 27 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
August 28 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey
August 29 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent
August 31 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
September 1 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
September 2 – Vancouver, BC – Hollywood Theatre
September 4 – Edmonton, AB – Midway Music Hall
September 5 – Calgary, AB – Commonwealth Bar
September 8 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall
September 9 – Denver, CO – Cervantes Ballroom
September 11 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
September 12 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave II
September 15 – Chicago, IL – Outset
September 16 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Stache
September 18 – Toronto, ON – Mod Club
September 19 – Montreal, QC – Le Studio TD
September 22 – Syracuse, NY – The Song & Dance
September 24 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
September 25 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts
September 26 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza
September 29 – Washington, DC – The Atlantis
October 1 – Charlotte, NC – Amo’s SouthEnd
October 2 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
October 3 – Nashville, TN – Exit/In
October 7 – Indianapolis, IN – Hi-Fi Annex
October 8 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
